Oh Spit! Diaper Bag

I completed another bag from Sara Lawson's book Big-City Bags. My girlfriend's daughter, Aimee, is having a baby in January so I sewed the Oh Spit! Diaper Bag for the baby shower that was held on December 14. Here is the front, along with the changing pad.

 I think it turned out cute. I used Tula Pink's Bumble fabric. The shower theme was ba-"bee". My girlfriend had let me know that in late November. So I hurried up and picked out this fabric and ordered it and started sewing so that I could get it done for the shower. The pattern came together nicely. I really like the side pockets that have elastic at the top so that she can put a baby bottle in them. The binding is bias tape which works really well for the pockets and the changing pad. But on the top of the bag, I did not trust myself sewing it by machine. I basted it around the top and then hand-sewed both sides down.  For the lining I used the bumble dots.

 

There are slip pockets on both sides. 

In the book, the changing pad says to use PUL fabric on one side, which I did. But that fabric stretches so I really didn't think that it would work by just laying the Bumble fabric and the PUL fabric wrong sides together and then binding it. So I quilted it by hand. I enjoy quilting some things by hand while watching tv.

I just followed between the gray crosses outlining the bees. 

I think Aimee liked her new Oh Spit! Diaper Bag and Changing Pad. At the shower, she said it was "so cute". I hope she enjoys using it. Here's the back and top.

Sound Check Bag

Hello! Here is my latest accomplishment from Big City Bags - The Sound Check Bag.

I think it turned out really cute. I especially like the pleats. They were really fun to make. This is Amy Butler, Gypsy Caravan, fabric I have had in my stash (dresser drawer) for a couple of years. I used 4 of the stripes from the inside fabric for the accents.  This is the inside.

I kind of like how the stripes went together in the inside. The only thing I didn't really like about how the way my bag turned out is the rectangle hardware. I wish I would have had a smaller size. Because they kind of shift because the straps are more narrow. Fitting the corners of both the bag and the lining can be a little tricky. You just have to sew very slow and keep adjusting the bag so that you don't get any other part of the bag caught while sewing.  I might make another one down the road. I have been accumulating so much fabric, I'm sure I can  pull some out for another one.

Merinque Clutch

Here is my  Merinque Clutch by Sara Lawson in the book "Big-City Bags".

This is a clutch but I've been using it for a makeup bag. It works great for that. I can just grab it and go when we go camping. It only took me one weekend to make this bag. The hardest part is gathering the ruffle strings, but it ended up working out pretty well. I used an Amy Butler print and Kona solid. Maybe I'll make another one down the road to actually use as a clutch purse.

I want to make more bags from this awesome book, but I never have enough time. Too many quilts, etc in the works.

Bye Bye Love Bag

This is my Bye Bye Love Bag. It is great for carrying my curling iron, hair dryer, brush, comb and makeup bag with me when I go camping or on a short trip. This is a pattern from sewsweetness.com. She has some fantastic patterns.  I made this bag using Riviera batiks from Fat Quarter Shop.

I just did random piecing of the batik fabric in a rectangle larger than the pattern piece. After basting the Soft & Stable to the rectangle, then I quilted straight lines.  

 

It has pockets all along the inside that I can keep my sunglasses and other items in. I love blue and batik.

City Slicker Bag

This is my City Slicker Bag.

I love how it turned out. I've been using it for a few weeks now. This was the last pattern for the Bag of the Month Club that I was a member of. Well, I should have had this completed by July 15, but didn't get it done in time. I guess because I do too much running around in the Summer. So since it did not get completed by then, I let it sit longer without finishing it.  Here's the back.

I made the welt pocket on the back. You could have just made a zipper pocket, but I wanted to try making a welt pocket. It is really neat because I can just toss my keys in the pocket and grab them back out when I need them. 
For my City Slicker Bag, I used a purple-colored Kona cotton. Plus I used Downton Abbey fabric that I absolutely love. I'm a big Downton Abbey fan as you can see by the inside of my bag.

I love this pattern because I am so organized. I can put my sunglasses and glasses cases in the pockets, plus the zipper pocket keeps my contacts easy to find. And the other pocket, I can put my lipstick and other items in. No searching around in the bottom of the purse. I would like to make another one down the road, but that's when I have some extra time. Who knows when that will be?! But for now, I'm loving this Downton Abbey bag. It's me.

Poolside Tote

Here is a "Poolside Tote" that I finished for the Bag of the Month Club. I have used it a few times now to go boating and when we went to the beach. It is a quick pattern and it turns out beautiful. I would like to make a few more for gifts.

The pattern is by Noodlehead. http://www.noodle-head.com/
For this tote, I used quilting cottons that I have had at my house for about 5 years. They were originally meant to be a quilted tablecloth that I never got around to making. It worked nicely for this tote. I used Thermolam interfacing and it helped to make it sit on its own. I love my new Poolside Tote!

Laurel's Quilt

Here is a quilt that I just recently completed for my youngest cousin, Laurel's, baby shower. She had decided on bears for the baby's nursery. I ordered this quilt from Keepsake Quilting, but I didn't like it that much when it came in. Because I really prefer piecing a quilt, rather just quilting the top and back together.

Anyway, I decided to hand quilt around all of the bears and bees and other items. I used thread that matched the bears and kind of did "big stitching". That way the bears were puffy.

Don't know if you can see it real well, but I went around the bellies and the circles on their paws and ears. Plus I used black thread for the eyes and red for the mouths.

Here is a photo of the bee and beehive. I thought he was really cute.

For the binding, I used yellow satin binding tape that I bought at JoAnn's. I did not know how to do it, at first, so I watched a youtube video. It really turned out nice and kind of added something to the quilt.

My cousin Laurel said she loved this quilt and she planned to hang it on the wall in her baby's nursery. I'm glad I finished it for her.

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Checkers Quilt

Hi! So glad you are visiting my blog. This is my first post. I have been wanting to start a blog for my quilts and other sewing projects, so finally I am. 

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This is my "Checkers" quilt.  

I completed it Christmas of 2012 for my son JD. I used beautiful fabric from Cherrywood fabrics http://cherrywoodfabrics.bigcartel.com/ because I just loved the quilt and the fabric.

This quilt took me about 1 year from start to finish, so hopefully my son is enjoying it and keeping nice and warm with it. I pieced and quilted it all with my small Singer sewing machine, but hey, it worked. I have given my Singer to my little sister, Cathleen, so she can start sewing. Because now I have purchased a Brother that gives me more quilting space.

Thanks for viewing my blog. I'll get the hang of this!